Worthless
by Sushi Hoshi
Summary: Can a broken heart find solace and move on? Or was it worthless to begin with? Strong adult themes and severe overacting within.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own any part or whole of Zelda and/or it's characters. Intellectual property rights to Zelda and it's characters are owned entirely by Nintendo, and I make no monetary gain in writing or posting this work. Now, all that being said and done..._

_Author's Note: I really, really, really wanted to make this a oneshot, but it just got too long. Writings tend to get away from me like that. This will go into a second chapter, but I am not planning on a third. I am horrendous at keeping up with chaptered works. Anyway, hope you enjoy!_

Link sat by himself on the riverbank. He stared into the cold, loud water, thoughts jumbling fast and frenetic in his mind. Inside he wanted to die. He wanted to hurt someone, himself, maybe. None of it made sense to him anymore. What he had just seen not an hour ago... no. He couldn't think about it. None of it mattered now. She didn't matter. She was dead to him. The water continued to gurgle and rush over the rocks and the sound was suddenly deafening to his ears. _Why? Why did this have to happen? Why now? _Sure, things had never been stellar between himself and Zelda, but had they really gotten that bad? No matter how hard he tried to block it out, the events played themselves out over and over again in his head.

It had started out like a normal enough day. Link rose early in the morning, the first rays of red light showing in the sky. Zelda was asleep and he crept softly from the bed, so as not to wake her. He set to washing in the basin on his dresser and donning his riding clothes. He always started his day with a morning ride on Epona. It was cool in the castle as he made his way down to the stables. Servants went about their usual drudgery, looking surly and tired. Link nodded to them on his way down and was met with half-smiles.

In the stables, Epona was awake and eager to get going. Link smiled and stroked her soft mane as she gave him a friendly "Good morning" nudge on the shoulder. "Good morning to you too, Epona." She pawed the ground and neighed with anticipation. He strapped her saddle on with ease, mounted effortlessly, then rode out of the castle grounds and into the town. The morning was on the cool side with a slight breeze blowing. Everything was fresh and new, which Link loved so much about that time of day. Everyone was out and about. Shops were opening, the baker setting out fresh loaves of bread, vendors erecting their awnings for another day of hawking cheap wares. His fifth anniversary with Zelda was today. Later on he planned to buy her something nice; a necklace perhaps. Maybe a bottle of myrrh. He nudged Epona to the right and they turned out of town for the fields. The sun was rising fast now, flowers opening and bees starting their rounds for the day.

How Link loved nature. Perhaps it was innate. Maybe it was due to those first ten years of life he spent living with the Kokiri. Whatever the reason, being outside, under the sun and out with nature, Link felt more alive. He couldn't stand spending the entire day inside of the castle. When the King had died two years ago, Zelda was bestowed with the crown and all of the duties that were attached. Link, luckily, had only become her consort upon marriage, and therefore, free from most of it. He was glad for it. He had no way with politics, meetings, and staying inside all day looking over reams of documents.

All in all, life was good for him. He was able to do mostly whatever he pleased. Riding every morning until noon, visiting friends at his leisure, fishing... However... He and Zelda had grown distant as of late. When they had first married five years ago, conversation had flown easily between them. Zelda had a mind of unmatched capacity, her look inquisitive and her input thoughtful. Link loved her intellect. Never had he known a wiser or more caring person. In a way, he sometimes felt as though she mostly humored him. Doubtless, he was not as smart as her and never would be. Yet he wasn't stupid. At first they had talked all of the time. They talked about everything. Subjects ranging from the innocuous to the taboo. Boring to personal. General to specific. And the sex was great. They had started out by having it about once or twice (sometimes three times) a day, everyday. Of course it tapered off later as time went on, but it had always remained frequent. But when the King died, everything changed.

Zelda became distant. No longer did she run to his arms when she was upset. No longer did she long to talk to him for hours on end. She didn't laugh at his jokes. She didn't seek to sleep with him. In fact, she all but disappeared from his life. Their words became few and terse. Yes, he was free to spend his time in pretty much any way that he pleased, but it was lonely. It was not unlike the time that he had spent on his quest, when Ganondorf was still in power. Had things really come to that? That he was so lonely and deprived of intimacy of any sort that it was comparative to some of the darkest days of his life? "Hell hath no fury," he often thought.

Link was not an effusive sort of man. If something was bothering him, he was not one to discuss it. Bottling things up was easiest to do. The horrors that he had seen during the war often plagued him during the night, invading his dreams and turning them dark. He would wake up screaming, with Zelda trying to calm him down. No amount of words on her part could help. Over time, as her duties increased, Link stopped talking, and she stopped listening. Terrors from his past and worries of the present all converged into a ball of stress in his gut. And he swallowed it down every time. Either Zelda was too preoccupied or didn't particularly care, but her chats with Link became fewer and fewer. Vain he wasn't, but Link had begun to notice bags forming under his eyes and frown lines gathering on his brow. Oft he wondered if his marriage was dead.

The sun was nearing the noon hour as Link rode by some trees doing a little target practice with his bow. There wasn't much reason for him to do such things anymore, but he liked to stay in form just in case. He wouldn't want to turn into a drudge, after all. He decided that it was time to go back and see if he could manage to have lunch with Zelda. Perhaps she could spare an hour or two for him since it was their anniversary, after all. After a twenty minute ride through the fields, he was back in town and remembered that he needed to buy his wife a gift. Link dismounted Epona and tied her to a post in front of a bar. There were various stalls set up in the town square this day, all full of wares ranging from the common to the exotic. He stopped by a vendor who was selling jewelry and his eye fell upon a gold necklace set with large, deep-blue sapphires. _She would love this. _He thought.

"How much?" he asked the vendor, examining the bright stones and delicate gold filligree.

"600 rupees." the man replied. Link pulled out his coin purse to pay, only to discover that he was fourty rupees short. "_Damn, I could have sworn I had much more in here_." he thought to himself. The vendor watched him expectantly.

"Um..." Link started, biting his lip. The man snorted. "Let me guess; you don't have enough money?" he said sarcastically.

"I have more back in the castle." Link replied.

"Yeah, sure you do."

"No, really. I promise I do. If you'll just hold that necklace back, I'll go get the rest and return." The vendor squinted at Link suspiciously with his good eye. (He was wearing a patch over the other.) After a moment of consideration, he sighed and picked up the necklace, placing it in a box on the floor next to his seat.

"I'll keep it back for one hour," he said, waggling his finger, "but if you don't show up by then, you're out of luck." Link beamed and said his thanks.

He hurried over to untie Epona and mounted quickly. The crowd in the square was more dense than usual this particular day and he had a bit of difficulty navigating his horse around all of the patrons. Finally gaining the path to the castle he urged Epona into a quick trot and made hastily for the gates.

They were shut.

"_How odd._"he thought. The gates were usually wide open at this particular time of day. In fact, if he were out of the castle, they usually remained open until he returned. Link approached the turret and called out to the guard. There was the sound of rustling and clanking from within the small stone building and the gatekeeper groggily poked his head out of the door. Apparently, he had been napping on the job.

"If you don't mind, could you please open the gate?" Link asked. "I'm rather in a bit of a hurry." The guard squinted, slightly confused and looked toward the castle and then back at Link. "But I thought you and her Majesty already..." he started, then shook his head and came out to open the gate. Link thanked him and continued on into the vast, green grounds. The look on the gatekeeper's face had been strange. Link could not recall running into a delay getting through the castle gates before. (Well, since he had married Zelda, anyway.) Something about it bothered him, but he brushed it off as nothing. The guard had been sleeping, so he was probably just confused. He made a mental note to have a word with the man's captain.

A minute or so later he arrived at the main doors and dismounted quickly. If he didn't hurry the vendor was likely to sell that necklace, whether he'd promised to save it or not. As he ran through the castle, the servants gave him pensive looks and muttered amongst themselves, but Link took no notice. Finally, he reached his and Zelda's bed chamber and turned the door handle. He was about to enter when something stopped him in his tracks.

"Oh, Eamon, my God!" a woman cried. Giggling followed. That was Zelda's voice.

"My dear, you're so pretty all over, did you know that?" a man's voice replied.

"Eamon, you flatterer. Oh... now that's nice."

"Only for you, my dear Zelda."

The blood had run to his feet and his heart stopped. His hand shook as he held tight to the doorhandle, his breathing shallow and short. There was more pillow talk and giggling. Link felt as though he might faint, or kill someone, perhaps both. Slowly, he pushed the door open a crack and almost cried at the sight he beheld. There was a man, in _his _bed, wearing one of _his _tunics, servicing _his _wife. The anger welling in his chest was so hot that it could melt the sun. Link flung the door wide and strode over to the bed.

"YOU BASTARD!" he bellowed and grabbed the offender by the collar, jerking him backward off the bed. "You fucking bastard!" Link yanked the man upward and punched him hard across the nose. They stumbled and fell to the floor in a heap. Link held him tight by the front of his collar, punching him over and over again in the face.

"Link, stop it!" Zelda screeched. Link ceased for a moment and rounded on her.

"How could you!" he shouted, boiling tears burning his eyes, his voice cracking with anguish. Zelda glared at him, wrapped in a sheet.

"Link, I think you should leave," she said coldly.

"B-but Zelda..."

"Please... leave." Desperation gripped him like death and he stumbled forward, tears running down his face.

"Zelda, Zelda please, I love you. Please don't do this!" Link cried. He wrapped his arms around her legs, kneeling on the floor, begging.

"No, Link. It's over. I don't want you anymore. Now leave, before I summon the guards." Her words were so frigid, so flat. He hadn't seen it coming.

Link watched the water as he sat on the bank. Half of him wanted to jump in, give up and drown or float out to sea with the current, never to return. How could he have been so blind? No wonder the sex had stopped so suddenly. She had started getting it somewhere else. Link didn't know whether to feel angry, sad or both. He felt as if he would burst in anguish. Five years of his life he had given to her. In fact, more than five. He had given up his heart, his soul, all because he loved her. And he still loved her.

The pain coursing through his heart and the very blood in his veins burned like an acid. He wanted to die and felt as though he were doing so every time the memory played itself out in his head. What was he to do? Zelda had as much as kicked him out of the castle. He had nowhere to stay. "Who would want to help a loser like you anyway?" he thought depressedly. What had driven Zelda away? Had she ever really loved him? Or was he so detestable in personality and physical appearance that she had to seek out someone who was bearable?

Was he terrible in bed? Link had always prided himself on his sensitivity in bed and sexual prowess. There had been many times that Zelda had shouted his name out over and over again at the top of her voice. He wasn't sure why she had taken on another man; if there even was a reason.

He paused in his thoughts for a moment, staring blankly at the water as it swirled around the rocks lodged in the riverbed. He couldn't sit here forever. Already his backside was protesting his extented sitting time on the hard ground. The sun was beginning to ride a bit lower in the sky. Link guessed it to be about four o'clock. The way he saw it, he had three options; sleep under a tree for the night, stay at an inn and blow all of his rupees, or visit a friend when he didn't really feel like talking.

The tree was sounding pretty good. However, the wilds of Hyrule weren't entirely safe at night. He cast his gaze in the direction of Lon-Lon Ranch. It was about a half-day's ride away. He had no desire to stay in town and Kakariko was too far to reach by nightfall. Link stood and stretched the kinks out of his muscles. He whistled low and long, and Epona came up over the embankment, eager to leave. She whinnied happily and swished her tail. "At least I can be sure that Epona still likes me," he sighed.

As he and Epona trotted along across the fields, Link couldn't help but rehash all the things he'd ever done to upset Zelda. The time he had gone out to do target practice rather than eat lunch with her. The time that he had accidentally broken her favourite antique doll. The time he had proclaimed that he hated her father... He paused in his thoughts for a moment. It had been years since he said that about the King. Zelda had been extremely upset at the time. Despite that Link had never apologised. Could that be the reason she had grown so distant since her father's death?

But what about him? What about his needs? Didn't his feelings matter? Sure, he was a man of few words, but he was still human. He could still feel pain. The King had disliked Link from the start. Link never really hated his father-in-law. What he had said to Zelda wasn't meant. Such frustration had built up within him and it had all come flooding out at Zelda in the form of venemous words.

He was a commoner, a nobody. Not royalty. Not a prince. Certainly not rich, and, therefore, not worthy of consideration or respect. No one knew about the sacrifices he had made. Not one person except for Zelda and the other six sages had any inkling of what he had done. The King didn't see the scars on his body every night when he bathed. Zelda did. Yet not even she could see the toll it took on his heart, his mind. Yes, he had grown more quiet over the years. Things were festering, roiling inside of him. The King was merely one more thing to add to what was already there.

Not too far in the distance loomed Lon-Lon Ranch. It had been ages since Link had visited. Talon, the ranch owner, and his daughter Malon had always been friendly and welcoming toward him. It would be nice to see some friendly faces. Not to mention the fact that Malon was also a beautiful girl. Had he not been so intimately tied to Zelda, he would have made a try with Malon.

The gates to the ranch were still open. At least he wouldn't have to wake anyone. The sun was already sinking in the west. The smell of manure and hay was heavy in the air as he trotted through the gates on his horse. Talon came around the corner almost immediately with a pail of water. His face broke into a wide, goofy grin at the sight of Link.

"Well, speak of the devil. Look who it is, Malon!" he called out. Link gave the best smile he could muster at the moment and dismounted. Malon came out of the stables a moment later. Her hair was slightly mussed and there was a small smudge of dirt on her left cheek. Link was struck by how beautiful she looked in the setting sun; hair so red it could rival the colour of fire. A pang of pain shot through his chest suddenly, thoughts of Zelda crashing down on him out of the blue. For a moment he saw his wife instead of Malon. Hair of gold, not fire. Anger, pain, and despair welled up within him and tears threatened to come. Malon smiled at him and waved.

"What brings you by so late in the day?" Talon asked. Link shifted his weight from one leg to the other, feeling awkward. "Well, I was out riding and became... distracted. I wasn't prepared to camp out over night, and your ranch was nearby..." He trailed off unsure of what to say next. _Yeah, great job, Link. That was a great reason._ He mentally berated himself for sounding like such a dunce.

Malon walked up to them, wiping dirt from her hands with an old towel. "Long time no see, Link," she chirped. He greeted her in turn, handing Epona's reigns to Talon, who had his large hand outstretched. He smiled warmly at Link, a knowing look in his eye.

"Mal, honey, Link is going to be spending the night here. Would you fix the guest room up for him?" Malon nodded and turned, walking toward the large ranchouse. Link followed suit. It were as though his body were not his own, walking, talking, acting like nothing was the matter. He felt like goo inside; unsettled, weak, vulnerable. He couldn't think of a time in his life where he had felt more miserable inside. Malon showed him to the guest room and set to turning down the bed.

"Have you had supper yet?" she asked, while fluffing a pillow.

"Um, no. But, I'm not really hungry tonight. I, uh, had a big lunch." His stomach growled as he spoke. She looked upon him with concern, but didn't press him with questions. "Well, if you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen cooking for now." Quietly, she made her way out and closed the door with a soft click. He stood there for a moment, embarrassed by his total lack of deceptive abilities. There were so many emotions flying through him that he again felt as though he would burst from overload. He hadn't felt this confused since he was a teenager, and that was saying a lot. Slowly, he sat himself down on the bed and began to remove his boots. Perhaps a little sleep would do him some good. He took his tunic, hose, and hat off next, laying them in a neat pile on a chair.

As he slid down between the cool, soft sheets, his thoughts turned to what he would do with himself. Where would he go? All of his possessions were at the castle, and he doubted that Zelda would allow him back inside to retrieve them. Truthfully, he wasn't sure that he wanted to go back. He may be the holder of the Triforce of courage, but the thought of going back in there made his stomach do flip-flops. For a while he laid in bed pondering, feeling wretched, until his thoughts became hazy and disjointed, sleep coming down on him like a thick blanket.

Someone was giggling in the distance. He stumbled forward in boots that were too large for his feet; he was shrinking as he walked. Trees sprung up around him and the sun shone brightly overhead, the light burning his eyes. The giggling continued, ringing off the blue walls of the world. "Zelda?" he called out. Someone darted behind a tree. He ran clumsily forward to catch her. When he reached the tree, no one was there. He turned, searching the area with his eyes, when they were suddenly covered by a pair of cold, white hands.

"Guess who?" she whispered. Link whirled about and saw her standing there, naked as the day she was born, beckoning seductively. He fell into her arms, kissing her soft lips, clutching at her back, desparate to hold her close and not let go. She ran her hands up the insides of his legs, touching him where no woman had previously dared. A deep shudder flew from him as he lowered his head, kissing between her breasts.

"Oh, Link, I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do this," she moaned. A sharp pain erupted in his shoulder before he could answer. He stopped cold and looked into her eyes, horror realized in his mind. Another pain came, then another, and another. She had a dagger in her hands, and she was stabbing him, quite literally, in the back. The taste of blood was filling his mouth, thick and metallic. A garbled shout gurgled in his throat and he fell forward into fire, the sound of her cruel laughter echoing in his ears. He was screaming, it burned so much...

"Link! Link! Please wake up!" His eyes flew open and he could hear himself screaming and coughing. He felt like he was going to be sick. Dry heaves wracked his body, covered in cold sweat and he buried his head in the covers. Tears were streaming down his face. A pair of strong arms encircled his shoulders and pulled him inward. Link leaned into Malon's chest, sobbing and heaving, uncaring of who heard. "She hates me," he choked. "She left, me! She left me!" Malon shushed him and rocked back and forth, trying her best to calm him. After a minute or two his sobs quieted and he shivered, unable to willingly move himself back under the covers.

"She left me, Malon," he whispered. "I, I found her with someone else. She doesn't _want_ me anymore. I'm, I'm worthless. Completely wothless." Malon shushed him again.

"No, you're not worthless, Link. Of course you're not. Don't ever think that."

"But she left me. How could I be anything else? It's all my fault, I shouldn't have said all those things to her. I should have tried harder."

"It's okay, Link. You didn't make her go to someone else. She did that, not you. You're a nice person, please don't blame yourself." Malon ran her fingers through his hair, silky strands soft and fine between her fingertips. She had always wondered what it would be like to hold him... Link dragged a hand across his face, desperate for relief, some sort of mental clarification, anything. His fingers drifted downward and found their way to her bare shoulder. He sighed at the softness of her skin. She was so smooth, sharply juxtaposed against the hard, harsh dread in his chest. A sigh escaped from his throat and he felt as though he was deflating, leaning into her welcoming arms. He leaned on her heavily, his hand roaming upward to her neck, then her face. His thumb brushed over her cheek. He could feel her warm, moist breath as his thumb traversed her lips. Link wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to feel better.

Languidly, he brought his face up to meet hers, unaware that he had long discarded the blankets. Unaware and unconcerned that he was naked with another woman. Malon was quickly conscience of where things were headed and she started to turn away. "Link, I don't think we should..." Her words were unheeded as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently on the lips. "Oh my, he's good," she thought to herself. Malon was no stranger to kissing. She'd even had relations before, but the way he was kissing her now was on par with having had three glasses of wine. She could pull away. In fact, she probably should have, but it were as though she were shackled to the spot, unwilling to break the intense moment she now shared with him.

Link pulled away momentarily, and for a moment, Malon expected it to be over. Then, his lips moved downward to her throat and he began to kiss her lightly, his hands working in circles over her shoulders. Together, they laid down on the bed, his kisses moving lower, to her clavicles and beyond. Link realised that what he was doing was wrong. Rejected or not, he was still married. But he needed this as much as he had ever needed anything. He could think of no other way to express himself, to connect with someone when he felt utterly isolated and deeply dolorous.

Malon's breathing started to become shallow and quickened. It had been a long time since she had gone this far with a man. His hands strayed underneath her nightgown, gliding upwards smoothly. She did not protest in the slightest. As his hands strayed, their lips met again, their bodies pressing closely against each other. She ran her hands down his back, stopping to rest on his hips. He was pressing stiffly into her leg and she suddenly felt nervous at the prospect of what they were doing. Link looked into her eyes at that moment. His face was filled with pain. The pity welling up inside her was overcoming. What they were doing was wrong. Terribly wrong and decadent. But for the life of her, she couldn't help it.

"Malon..." he started, but she shook her head.

"It's okay, Link. I'll understand no matter what happens." He nodded, pondering for a moment. Then throwing caution to the wind, he kissed her as he entered.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Wow, has it really been a year? I was hoping to get this next part done in, like, _2006_, but it looks as though I'm a tad late. Ah well. I must apologize for two or three things; 1, the lateness of this chapter, 2, the length, and 3, the format. Formatting always troubles me. Anyway, enjoy, if anyone is still reading this._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda and/or its characters, place names, etc. All aforementioned items are property of Nintendo and I make no profit from this work._

It was desperate, empty, and painful. With each movement Link felt as though he was dying over and over again. As one their bodies moved, yet his heart couldn't have been further away. All through the night they sated their lust until both were spent and Link collapsed, unable to carry on. "_There's nothing left of me,_" he thought to himself. Malon sat next to him, watching with mixed feelings of pity and disappointment. It hadn't been right. Practically euphoric physically, but utterly wrong. If only he would put his arm around her. She longed for him to embrace her, whisper things in her ear against the pillow. If only he would invite her to lay her head upon his chest. She wanted to linger in his arms until the sun was well into the sky. Link asked her to do no such thing. Rather, he rolled onto his side, turning his back and bending inward upon himself, shutting out everything - including her. She hadn't expected much else, but it still hurt. The cold, predawn darkness seemed to seep into her conscious like a quiet, icy poison. Hard though she tried, Malon could not keep the tears from breaking. Choking back a sudden sob, she pulled on her nightdress and hurried from the room.

Link heard the door snap shut and was only half affected by it. It was best if she did not stay. Deep in his heart he really did care very much for Malon. But he loved Zelda. What he had seen the previous day had shaken him to the core. Many terrible things had happened right before his eyes during the Imprisoning War. He had witnessed atrocities that should never have happened. Through it all he had remained strong and never succumbed to hate. Within his heart Link could not find the ability to hate, to betray... Until now. He did not want to hate his wife, neither her paramour. Betrayal, however, was bringing out emotions he hadn't realized before.

From the moment that he kissed Malon, he had betrayed his wife. It did not matter that Zelda had already wronged him. He couldn't justify his actions in his mind. Saria had always told him that two wrongs didn't make a right. "_Nor can I amend this situation by sleeping with another woman._"But a slight, whispering voice in the back of his mind said, "_We've gotten her back now, haven't we?_"

The light of the rising sun burned his eyes, as if exposing his sins to the light of the Goddesses. His eyes watered and threatened to spill over once again. The sound of someone banging around in the kitchen snapped him out of his trance-like state."_Malon._"He had wronged her as well. Despite the leaden feeling throughout his being, Link dragged himself up from the bed and donned his tunic. Quietly, he walked barefoot from the room, down the hall and to the kitchen doorway. Malon was dressed in her day clothing, furiously making breakfast with her back to the door. Link watched her silently for a moment and noted that her face was red and tear-streaked. All she had done was provide him with comfort. He had taken advantage of her in his selfishness.

Not wishing to seem like he was spying, Link cleared his throat to make his presence known. Malon made no indication that she had heard him. With a deep sigh, Link pulled a chair out from the table and sat down in her line of vision. She ignored him still. "Malon, I'm sorry," he said. She sniffed her nose and looked ready to cry. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean to hurt you." She abruptly turned her back and buried her face in a dish towel with a sob. Her poorly restrained cries made Link feel much worse than before. "Please, Malon. You must try to understand-"

"How do you expect me to feel, Link? You certainly seemed intent on making things happen last night."

Link rubbed his eyes with one hand, as if wishing to wipe the world from his vision.

"Malon, I'm sorry. I'm not sure what I think about anything right now. I didn't intend to bring you into this."

Malon took his body language as a sign of indifference and turned back to the stove, tears coursing down her face. Link stared at her back, unsure of what to say or do. He barely knew what to think of his own position. He rose and started toward her, desperate to prevent another disaster.

"Malon, I --" Just as he reached to touch her shoulder, the front door opened and Talon's voice boomed over the threshold.

"Link, there's some feller in fancy tights here to see you!" Momentarily torn, Link looked from Malon to the living area doorway and back again. Malon made no indication that she was about to turn back around. Her strangled sobs continued. "Link, are you back there?" Talon called. Not wanting Talon to witness Malon's current state, Link reluctantly turned. "I'll be right back," he said. Malon's only reply was a derisive snort.

As Link entered the front room, his blood immediately ran cold. It was Duke Edvard of Holodrum; Zelda's favourite cousin. He was dressed nearly from head to foot in red, crushed velvet, a large, blue peacock feather protruding from his ridiculously elabourate hat. The duke fixed his gaze on Link, eyes boring deep. Link wondered in a panic if he were transparent. Edvard's cold, grey eyes seemed to pierce right through him, revealing all his sins of the previous night.

"I have a message for you _dear cousin._"

"Get to it, then." Link snapped. Edvard gave him a toothy sneer. "Her Majesty, the Queen of Hyrule wishes that you present yourself in court before sunset. You are to come immediately." He paused to give Link an appraising stare. "However, if I were you I would clean myself up first." The blood thundered in Link's ears. There again was that damned royal attitude he couldn't stand. Most in court (upper-level servants included) had made it no secret over the years what they thought of him. His "lack of manner and _breeding"_. It was outright snobbery as far as he was concerned. The duke turned to go outside. "I'll be waiting by the ranch entrance. Don't be too long. The smell in this cow farm might start to stick." Edvard sniffed condescendingly in Talon's direction and exited with his nose in the air.

"Well, he was rude," Talon remarked.

"Tell me about it," Link muttered. He headed back toward the kitchen, the fog in his head worse than ever. The choking scent of smoke hit him like a wall as he entered. Malon was frantically trying to salvage breakfast from the stove. She glanced in Link's direction for a moment, but could not hold his gaze and returned quickly to her task. Feeling numb from the top of his head downward, Link made his way back to the guest bedroom to collect his few things.

Before long he was washed, fully dressed, and ready. Stubble had risen over the lower half of his face, but he hadn't taken a razor with him. Upon looking in the mirror, he saw that the circles under his eyes had deepened since earlier, almost looking as though he'd been in a fight. Link knew he looked rough. His tunic was wrinkled and his hose were smudged with dirt. The court would just have something else to gossip about, he figured. _"But since when did it matter how they percieve me?"_ he thought sardonically.

Reluctantly, he made his way back to the kitchen. Malon's tears had subsided for the most part. She glanced momentarily in his direction, busy scraping a load of burned breakfast onto three plates. "Are you hungry?" she asked quietly. The acrid odor of charred food wafted past and Link was almost glad to be going. "Yes, thank-you; but I can't stay."

"But you only just arrived-"

"I've been summoned."

"You mean you're going back?" she asked icredulously, awkwardness forgotten for a moment.

"I am duty-bound to the Queen. If she summons, I must obey." Tears welled in her eyes again. "But Link, she didn't see your face last night! She hurt you deeply, I can see it. I-I'm sorry about what happened, and what I said this morning. I-I shouldn't cry over things like such a child. Please, just know that I really -- care -- for you... I don't want..." She trailed off, eyes fixed to a spot on the floor.

"No, it's okay, Malon. It's my fault, too. I was wrong to take advantage of your kindness. For what it's worth, I care about you, too. But I have to go back. I have no choice."

"Link, I lo-"

"No!" Link frowned and shook his head sharply. "Please, don't say anything rash! I can't Malon. No matter the spot I'm in, I just... can't." With that, Link turned abruptly on his heel and strode out. Malon felt as though her body had turned to jelly. _"I should not have said that. Oh, what have I done?"_ she thought, humiliated by her own actions. Any urges to run out the door after him were quickly quashed. _"You musn't pursue him, Malon. It's terrible enough that you slept with him. He's married and this isn't your quarrel. He told you he didn't want you involved. You must accept it!" _With those thoughts, she forced herself back to the task at hand, swallowing her cries.

Link solemnly made his way to the stables to retrieve Epona. The previous day he had wanted nothing more than to be back at home. Yet now, the thought of returning made him feel ill. Zelda had given him the boot, so to speak. Now she had sent him a summons? Vassals were given summons; not jilted husbands. _"Am I nothing more than a subject to her now? "_ he wondered silently. Epona neighed softly, nudging him gently in an offer of comfort. His heart was near to bursting as he led her to the ranch entrance. As promised, the pompous duke was waiting, retinue of guards in tow. He sneered as Link approached with Epona. "I see you're still attached to that willful nag. I'm surprised she hasn't broken your neck from bucking yet." Link wished Epona would kick the duke and show him whose neck needed breaking. "Are you going to take cheap shots at me and my horse all day, or are we going to the castle?" Edvard sneered at Link and mounted his own horse in reply.

The majority of their journey was spent in silence. Occasionally the duke would try and wheedle gossip-worthy information out of Link.

"What were you doing all the way out at Lon-Lon anyway? Long way to go on a pleasure ride."

"I was visiting friends."

"Who? The ranch owner? As dull as you are, he seems unworthy of you." He glanced slyly in Link's direction. "Or maybe he's not the friend you were visiting?" Link stared ahead without flinching. So, he wanted to play mind games.

"Yes, that ranch owner's daughter is something, isn't she? I've seen her delivering goods at the castle before. Oh Gods I would like a feel under her skirt." Link gripped the reigns so hard his knuckles cracked. Edvard smirked, satisfied. "I'm sure you've had a go, yourself, right? Breasts like melons that woman. Spending the night there, one couldn't possibly resist. I mean, what's a little romp on the side? We all know the Queen does." Link was feeling almost murderous. The duke continued. "Or were you, perhaps, unaware? Yes? Hmm, I guess the spouse really is the last to find out. Of course, it's not like you could really compete with her lovers. Compared to them, you're so... common."

Link decided to take a slightly different tack.

"Tell me, Edvard, why have you been relegated the lowly task of fetching the royal laughing stock? Don't you have more important things to do? Like sewing ribbons to that tiny codpiece of yours?" The duke's cheeks went red in anger, but he hardly missed a beat.

"I wouldn't miss the chance of seeing an idiot hung out to dry."

"So you know from personal experience, then?" Edvard scoffed in anger. "Of course not! You are the only idiot in this group."

"Well, if I'm an idiot, then you're a donkey's arse. Although, I must say, you look slightly worse." The duke opened and closed his mouth in the manner of a large cod.

"Just you wait until we get back, you snotty upstart!" he snapped. With that, Edvard ran out of biting words and fumed in silence for the rest of the ride. Every now and then he would cast the dirtiest look he could muster in Link's direction.

Tension plagued the party for the remainder of the trip to the castle. However, at the cusp of evening, when the walls of the keep loomed into view beyond the ramparts, grey and imposing, Link felt his stomach give a slight lurch. Tension was one thing, but why did he now feel as though he was passing the town gates for the last time? They made their way through the narrow streets, which were calming in the soft evening light. Travelers made their ways to the various inns and taverns. Shutters on dwellings were thrust open as smells of dinner wafted through the alleyways. Link tried to lose himself in the sounds and scents of the evening, only to be jolted awake by by the duke's nasal voice. "You don't look very well. Try not to die on me before you see the Queen, will you?" Link cracked an eye and glared at Edvard. They were fast approaching the inner gates.

"Damn it all. Look, it's already after sunset. We're close on a half-hour late. If she's hopping mad, this is _your_ fault," the Duke said. After passing through, the gates closed behind them in a deafening groan. The sound seemed to possess a certain finality, Link thought. Upon dismounting their horses at the entrance, Link was immediatly encircled by guards girt with swords. "Is something the matter?" he asked angrily. Edvard spoke up from outside the ring. "The Queen's orders. If you complain, I'm sure one of these gentlemen could be persuaded to quiet you. So do try to refrain from whining." Link could feel the blood in his veins boiling. What in the world was going on? Things were headed downhill fast. He made for the doors when a guard blocked him. "If you would please surrender your weapons, Sir." Link was taken aback. Perhaps he had heard wrong. "I'm sorry, could you say that again?"

"Please remove your weapons. The Queen specifically ordered that you not enter armed." It was the ultimate of insults. "What if I refuse?" Link asked angrily.

"Then we are to disarm you by force."

"And if I decide to leave instead?"

"That is not an option," the guard replied. Link considered his current situation. Not allowed to enter armed. Not allowed to leave. What other options did he have? Feeling a rock forming in his gut, he decided to leave the question open and surrender. Every particle in his being felt low and sick as he removed his sword, bow, quiver, dagger, and hatchet. He felt less of a man, naked -- trapped.

"That's a good boy. What a relief that you aren't arguing for a change," said the Duke. He made his way to the doors and Link followed, swords clinking ominously about him. Even at the edge of battle, Link had never felt worse in his life.


End file.
